Motivation and preparedness of first semester medical students for a career in medicine.

Purpose : To determine motivation of medical students towards a medical career, and their knowledge of and preparation for it. Methods : After ethical committee approval, students admitted in 2009, who volunteered, were administered an anonymous questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was done. Results : Of 150 students admitted, 103 (68.7%) submitted completed questionnaires. Fifty-seven students (55%) got admission after ≥2 attempts; 65 (63%) decided on a medical career before class ten. Accurate knowledge about the curriculum was poor even though many had a family member in the health field and were encouraged to take up medicine. Only half had sought guidance from a medical person; most had never undergone career preparation activity. Conclusion : Students are early deciders and highly motivated to join medicine. Family is a strong motivator and could encourage career preparation activities. Policy makers could design interventions to inform school students before they make the critical decision to join medicine.